Monday, August 30, 2010

Welcome Back Mr. Kotter

Among the mysteries of the sea, Stormhaven stands proud and defiant, a city built upon the relic of an unknown civilization. Four great pillars support a disk of preternatural stone, its architects an enigma as great as the means of its construction. The new inhabitants settled centuries ago, giving the city its current name because of the solidity and endurance it offers against the surrounding ocean is undeniable. Settlers erected their own dwellings on top of the disk and, when they crowded it too much, engineered a floating city lashed to the four pillars.

Magic is the lifeblood of Stormhaven, coursing through its very foundations and making life comfortable away from the shores of any nation. Its staunch neutrality ensures that the riches keep flowing, making Stormhaven into a monument to unfettered greed and hunger for power. It is the destination of choice for the most ruthless merchants, crime lords and politicians, where a silver tongue, quick wit and a fast blade are invaluable commodities, both on the lowly docks and the glittering palaces. Any adventurer with the right combination of ingenuity, strength and daring will find that Stormhaven embraces him like a lover and that no dream of wealth, no matter how extravagant, is beyond his grasp.

Places, terms, and other miscellaneous:

Upside: The pinnacle of Stormhaven, the wealthiest residents live on a platform suspended high above the ocean, far beyond the concerns of the wretched beneath.

Grand Parliament: Governmental entity made up of the major guild heads. Each guild elects a councilor to represent them in the parliament.

DriftDowns: City beneath the city on the disk above.

The Fingers of god: Vachan, Dastos, Vespius, & Olmak are the four great pillars that support Upside. They are made of the same stone as the world disk, each measuring a full quarter of a mile in diameter and so far as anyone can tell, extend all the way to the sea floor. All four pillars are covered in runes, each the height of a tall man.

Copper Gate: The Pillar Dastos is completely encircled by a wooden fence that is nearly 20 feet high and covered in a thin film of oil to discourage would be climbers. The only access through the fence is the Copper Gate, a wide door that is 10 feet high and 5 feet thick. It is guarded at all times by the Driftwatch Patrol.

Pillory Square: Former area of punishment used now as a pulpit for local rabble rousers at White Foam University.

The Ballroom: Through the years this expansive square formed at the juncture of all three Central Piers, has been the battleground of choice for radicals and rival gangs.

Bulova’s Cottage: A kitchen pub famous for its reptilian owner, Madame Bulovas.

Crumpled Playbill: Theater made from the rotted remains of a 3 story Warehouse.

Up from the Depths: Fortune Teller and Finder of Lost Things (pg. 41)

Red Quill Tattoo: A tattoo shop

Gideon House: The most powerful Driftdown Guild which isn’t saying much

Sea Nymph’s Bathhouse: The sign on the door says it all. “Dedicated to the revelry of the flesh in all its forms”

Phantom Caravel: A pub that caters to non-guild merchants and independent ship captains

Hag’s Britches: A rough & tumble pub

Temple of the Gentle Caress: The largest temple in the driftdowns built from the capsized hull of a mercantile ship.

Kingfisher Apartments: Non-descript two story building holding 25 apartments

Queen O’ the Sharks: Small pub known for its famous owner, Quantious Wellspring a ½ orc.

The Horned Crown: A sage

University of the White Wave: Two Orca Ships lashed together side by side make up the permanent residence for the school.

Kraken’s Nest: Dark broken ships…

The Black Spot: Hole in the wall bar of little repute and plenty of danger

Maggots: Junk Trader

Central Piers: The heart & anchor of the Driftdowns, thriving and bustling with activity. The majority of businesses and apartment complexes are located here.

Fire Towers: Each of the Fingers of god are flanked by a pair of floating, 30 ft high stone towers. Tower walls are 10 feet thick and held aloft by powerful spells. The towers are connected to the pillars by a long, narrow, stone bridge, the pillar’s end housing a Driftwatch Patrol. The towers take ther name from immense bonfires lit by night at the top of the towers, acting as beacons for incoming vessels.